Media Representative | ICC Women’s Cricket Committee
Broadcast Commentator
More than a decade after she retired from international cricket, Mithali Raj remains one of the most influential voices shaping the women’s game. Whether through commentary at major global tournaments, her role on the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee, or her work developing young players in Andhra Pradesh, Raj continues to help drive the sport forward at a moment of unprecedented growth.
Watching packed crowds at the recent Women’s T20 World Cup in England, Raj reflected on how far the game has come from the days when women’s cricket in India was barely visible. “To see women’s cricket up there on par with the way people turned to the stadium for men was very heartening,” she said. “It took a long time for women’s cricket to be where it is today.”
That perspective carries particular weight because few people have done more to build the foundations of modern women’s cricket in India. Across a 23-year international career, Raj became the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket history, the first woman to surpass 7,000 ODI runs, and the only Indian captain—male or female—to lead the country to two ODI World Cup finals.
Yet Raj insists she never set out to transform the sport. “I never dreamt or foresaw the future of women’s cricket where it is today,” she said. Raised by an Indian Air Force officer who instilled discipline and purpose, she came to view cricket not simply as a profession but as a responsibility. “When he put that context, then I realized this is duty. It was no longer just a sport for me.”
Today, that sense of duty continues through governance and development work. Raj speaks proudly about helping advocate for cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics through the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee. “When a sport becomes an Olympic sport, the government tends to fund the organizations,” she explained, emphasizing the opportunities this creates for emerging cricket nations.
At the grassroots level, her work with the Andhra Cricket Association has exposed her to a different side of the game. She has helped push for financial support for talented young girls from rural backgrounds, many of whom struggle with basic nutrition and equipment costs. “The sport is growing, but at the grassroots level there’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said.
For a player whose records may stand for years, Raj’s lasting impact increasingly lies beyond statistics. She helped carry women’s cricket through an era when recognition was scarce, and now remains actively involved as the sport reaches audiences and opportunities once unimaginable.